apr 2019 nlc - holy trinity orthodox churchgreat lent holy cross divine liturgy, 9:00 am coffee hour...

HOLY TRINITY

ORTHODOX CHURCH

APRIL 2019

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

March 31 3rd of Great Lent Holy Cross Divine Liturgy, 9:00 AM Coffee Hour – Ahearn/Mah/Morrison

Deanery Vespers 4 PM Bridgeport

April 1 St. Mary of Egypt

2

3 Confession 5-5:30 PM

Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts 6:00 PM

SOUP ‘n BREAD

4 Orthodoxy 101 @

10:30 A.M

Confession 1:00 P.M.

5 6 Confession 4-4:30 PM

Great Vespers 5:00 PM CONFESSION

7 4th of Great Lent St. John Climacos Church School 8:30 AM Divine Liturgy, 9:00 AM Coffee Hour – ? ? ?

Deanery Vespers 4 PM Meriden

8

9




SOUP ‘n BREAD

11

12

Akathist to the Theotokos 6:30 PM

13 Pre-Pascha Clean-up 8:30 AM - ???

Choir Rehearsal 3:00 PM Chrismation of Andrew Breitsprecher 4:30 PM Great Vespers 5:00 PM CONFESSION

14 5th of Great Lent St. Mary of Egypt Divine Liturgy 9:00 AM Coffee Hour – C & M Dresko Pre-Pascha Clean-up

Deanery Unction 4 PM Ansonia

15

16 Visitation: Jerome Home

10:30 AM (for Communion)



SOUP ‘n BREAD

18 Orthodoxy 101 @

10:30 A.M

19


20 Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy 9:00 AM VIGIL [Blessing of Palms] 5:00 PM

21 Palm SundayPalm SundayPalm SundayPalm Sunday Church School 8:30 AM Festal Divine Liturgy 9:00 A.M. Coffee Hour – Koles

Bridegroom Matins, 4:00 PM Hartford

22 Great and Holy MondayGreat and Holy MondayGreat and Holy MondayGreat and Holy Monday Bridegroom Matins,

6:30 PM

23 Great and Holy TuesdayGreat and Holy TuesdayGreat and Holy TuesdayGreat and Holy Tuesday

Bridegroom Matins, 6:30 PM

24 Great and HolyGreat and HolyGreat and HolyGreat and Holy

WednesdayWednesdayWednesdayWednesday

Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Thursday 6:00 PM Soup & Bread


ThursdayThursdayThursdayThursday Matins - Passion Gospels,

6:30 PM


FridayFridayFridayFriday

Vespers of Holy Friday, 3:00 PM

Soup / Bread Matins of Holy Saturday,

5:15 PM


SaturdaySaturdaySaturdaySaturday

Vespers/Liturgy 9:00AM

Nocturne, Pascal Matins, Pascal Liturgy 10:30 PM Baskets/Agape following

28 HolyHolyHolyHoly PaschaPaschaPaschaPascha

The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST

Vespers of Pascha 12:00 (Noon)

29 FAST FREE Bright Monday

Paschal Divine Liturgy 9:00 A. M.

Parish Council meeting 7:00 PM

30 FAST FREE Bright Tuesday Apostle James

Charity:

Cleaners: 4/7: Koles / Dresko 4/14: Pre-Pascha Clean-up 4/21: Hromi 4/28: Cabrera / Burrill

Greeter:

? ? ?

APRIL 2019

Monthly Newsletter of

HOLY TRINITY ORTHODOX CHURCH

305 Washington Street • PO Box 2876 • New Britain, CT 06050-2876

www.htocnb.org

APRIL 2019

Archpriest David Koles, Rector 9 Frankie Lane

Terryville, CT 06786

Phone: 860-573-0013

Email: [email protected]

GREAT LENT: Please make a sincere effort to

attend more services, to fast, to give alms, to read the scrip-tures or a spiritual book and to participate in the Sacrament of Confession during our journey of Great Lent. Fasting for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is nothing by mouth (food, drink, smoking, etc.) at least from the noontime meal until after Communion. Those who are physically able to are encouraged to fast the whole day.

♦ Please check the calendar for weekday confession times, also, Wednesdays, 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays, before and after Vespers. Father also is available by appointment at other times. Please make your Lenten confession before the end of Great Lent, Friday, April 19th.

A note about Confession and frequent Communion: For those who are receiving the Eucharist every

Sunday and on Feast days, an ac-

ceptable rule of thumb is to partici-

pate in the Sacrament of Confession

at least once during each of the

four Lenten seasons during the

year. Also, in preparation for re-

ceiving the Holy Eucharist, espe-

cially at Sunday Divine Liturgy, prayer and fasting is the acceptable

practice. Prayer, by attending Ves-

pers the night before, and fasting, from midnight until

after Divine Liturgy. When we have a weekday Festal

Vesperal Liturgy the rules of fasting are the same as

for Presanctified. We also should participate in the

Sacrament of Confession if we are absent from Divine

Liturgy and the Eucharist for three weeks in a row.

This also goes for our children who are 7 years of age

and older. PLEASE, both adults & children, if you have NOT

been to confession during Great Lent DO NOT ap-proach the Chalice on Pascha!

CEMETERY CLEAN-UP: A reminder that with the warmer weather we should take the opportunity to remove the Christmas wreaths and winter flowers from the graves of our loves ones before we visit next month.

LENTEN VESPERS: On Sunday afternoons [all begin at 4:00 p.m.] during the fast, Lenten Vespers will be

served at various churches through out the Connecticut Dean-ery. It may seem burdensome but visiting our neighbors brings great joy to the host parish to fill their temple and we get to pray and have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Lenten Vesper Schedule:

Apr. 7th Ss. Peter & Paul Church, Meriden

Apr. 14th Holy Unction: Three Saints, Ansonia

Apr. 21st Bridegroom Matins: All Saints Church, Hartford

ORTHODOXY 101: We continue learning about

The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacos using the book Thirty Steps to Heaven. Classes will be Thursday, April 4th & 18th at 10:30 a.m. Looking forward to seeing all those interested in learning about our faith!!

HOLY WEEK: The Resurrection of Lazarus &

The Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem (April 20th &

21st) Even though these services are technically not part of Holy Week, we will begin this special time in our spiritual jour-ney with Divine Liturgy on Saturday, April 20th. Then in the evening, Vespers, Litiya and the Blessing of Palms on the Eve of the Feast and Festal Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. The complete schedule for Holy Week and Pascha are printed in the weekly bulletin and on the parish web page.

The Resurrection of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus

Christ (April 28th) - the Vespers of Pascha will be celebrated on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 P.M. (noon), followed by an egg hunt for the children. Bright Monday (April 29th) will be cele-

brated with Paschal Divine Liturgy and procession at 9:00 A.M.

PARISH COUNCIL: The next meeting of the

2019 Parish Council will be held on Bright Monday evening, April 29th at 7:00 P.M. All council members are reminded of the schedule change and asked to make every effort to attend the meeting.

1

ST. THOMAS SUNDAY: On the second Sunday of Pascha, St. Thomas Sunday (May 5th), we will go to the parish cemetery for a general panikhida for our parish departed. We will have coffee hour after liturgy [no need to hurry] and then head to the cemetery, where the service will begin at approximately 11:30 -11:45 A.M. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be held on May 12th.

The April charity collection is for is for Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding

Center, Inc. Serving Central Connect-icut since 1999, Manes & Motions Ther-apeutic Riding Center, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization and a member of the Hospital for Special Care community. Its mission is to provide benefits in the areas of therapy, education, sports and recrea-

tion through the use of equine-assisted activities for the purpose of contributing positively to the well-being of individuals living with physical, emotional or cognitive special needs.

Manes & Motions strives to provide these benefits in a safe, compassionate, challenging and enjoyable environment. Manes & Motions offers therapeutic riding lessons during the spring, summer, and fall. Lessons are staffed by PATH Intl. certified-

instructors. Admission into the program is dependent upon the participant’s ability to take part in equine activities in a safe and meaningful manner.

https://hfsc.org/sports-and-fitness/manes-and-motions/

The collection will be taken on the last Sunday of the month. Please use the envelope provided in your monthly mailing and be generous!!

GENERAL CONFESSION: is normally held

on the last Saturday of each month (except for lenten periods), following Great Vespers. All regular communicants should make every effort to attend each General Confession. The next General Confession will be held on May 25th.

Birthdays & Anniversaries in APRIL: 3 Evelyn Cherpak 1941

4 Andrew Van Winkle 1962

6 Raisa Shafron 1936

17 Christian Stephen Burrill 1978

20 Rachel Santoro 1989

22 Chris & Megan Adams 2018

“WHEN I WAS SICK YOU CAME TO ME”

The following parishioners (and friends) are now home-

bound or in long-term care facilities. If there are any names missing, please inform Fr. David. The regular schedule of

visitations is included on the monthly calendar. Parishioners are welcomed and encouraged to make regular visitations to nursing homes and shut-ins. Our loved ones NEED to feel connected to their parish family.

Jerome Home, New Britain Sadie Albino

Alexander Dubnansky

Monsignor Bojnowski Manor, New Britain Mary Camarata

Grandview Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center [Walnut Hill Care Center], New Britain

Martha Cherpak

At Home: Betty Beck, Jim Dounouk, Jane Gunning, Joseph Kowar, Stella Liwen, Jennie Pich, Antoinette Rudy and Katherine Szestakow.

PARISH DIPTYCHS

Please remember our departed brothers and sisters in your prayers.

Child Nicholas Shcherdakevich 4 April 2 1922

Elizabeth Kolvek 75 April 2 1931

Child Basil Huts 1 mo April 2 1936

Theodore Baluk 49 April 2 1940

Emily Balkun 75 April 2 1976

Vladimir James Dounouk 75 April 2 1984

Nina Burak Hair 83 April 2 2007

George Shchenansky 43 April 3 1930

Emilian Opanasenko 83 April 4 1986

Daniel Protosen 57 April 5 1952

Michael Truhan 45 April 5 1962

John Suzich 38 April 6 1913

Christine Kupchik 75 April 6 1959

John Panasevich 38 April 8 1956

John Waskiewicz 55 April 8 1964

Alexander Romanchuk 80 April 8 1966

Albina Schaplak 75 April 8 1973

Child Sophia Vinaid 3 April 9 1914

Joseph Novak 47 April 9 1965

John Biczun 69 April 9 1972

Dorothy Ludko April 9 2014

Mary Wayda 73 April 10 1973

George Buchan 31 April 11 1910

Zenaida Keyko April 11 1914

Child Sophie Keyko 3 April 11 1914

Andrew Ladutko 35 April 12 1930

Antonina Kovalchuk 71 April 12 1964

Sophie Zaiko 62 April 13 1953

Efrem Noveck 67 April 13 1964

Katherine Cherpak 85 April 13 1975

Olga Hallin 92 April 13 2007

Anna Cherpak 67 April 14 1941

Bronislava Galagan April 14 1984

Louise Matyczyk Bechum 87 April 14 2007

Child Mary Purindis 8 mo April 15 1914

Walter (Vladimir) Matyczyk 75 April 15 2001

Nikita Stelman 62 April 16 1948

George Labas April 16 1988

Michael Labas April 16 1989

Michael Molchan 86 April 17 1997

Susan Labas 96 April 17 2016

Gregory Cyckowski 71 April 18 1971

Nicholas Novosett April 18 2005

Sophia Stankevich 38 April 19 1929

Harry Ptuska 67 April 19 1948

Nikolay Pobrezny 82 April 19 1975

Alla Hamisevich 86 April 19 2017

Sophia Zurawlew 88 April 20 2013

Archpriest Andrew Vanyuch April 21 1971

Rector: 1917 - 1919

Moses Basuk 31 April 21 1919

Mary Oleyer 68 April 21 1960

Daniel Gasukevich April 21 1984

Nicholas Cherpak 52 April 22 1935

Anna Truhan April 22 1971

Annastacia Matyczyk 93 April 22 1988

Child Peter Hudzik 3 days April 23 1933

George Hamilla 53 April 23 1956

Melania Sulima 84 April 23 2002

Mary Smith April 24 1982

Timothy Sadovsky April 25 1932

Helen Panasewich 67 April 25 1961

George Cocores 17 April 25 1966

Daniel Karpovich 65 April 26 1936

Theodore Gladky 49 April 26 1937

Peter Keilowok 56 April 26 1941

Alice Andruskiewicz 75 April 27 1996

Andrew Dobosz 60 April 28 1976

Emil Tynik 76 April 28 1990

Michael Horbal 89 April 28 2015

Alexander Dudeyko 46 April 29 1917

Jacob Snitko 55 April 29 1935

Stella Zamayduk 52 April 30 1952

Paul Panasewich April 30 1986

Edward Johnson 78 April 30 1998

THE LENTEN WORSHIP-

BRIGHT SADNESS

by Fr. Alexander Schmemann

For many, if not for the majority of Orthodox Christians, Lent consists of a limited number of formal, predominantly negative, rules and pre-scriptions: abstention from certain food, dancing, perhaps movies. Such is the degree of our aliena-tion from the real spirit of the Church that it is almost impossible for us to understand that there is “something else” in Lent - something without which all these prescriptions lose much 'of their meaning. This “something else” can best be described as an “atmosphere,” a “climate” into which one enters, as first of all a state of mind, soul, and spirit which for seven weeks permeates our entire life.

Let us stress once more that the purpose of Lent is not to force on us a few formal obligations, but to “soften” our heart so that it may open itself to the realities of the spirit, to experience the hidden “thirst and hunger” for communion with God. This len-ten “atmosphere,” this unique “state of mind;” is brought about mainly by means of worship, by the various changes introduced during that season into the liturgical life. Considered separately, these changes may appear as incomprehensible “rubrics,” as formal prescriptions to be formally adhered to; but understood as a whole, they reveal and communicate the spirit of Lent, they make us see, feel, and experience that bright sadness which is the true message and gift of Lent. One can say without exagger-ation that the spiritual fathers and the sacred writers who com-posed the hymns of the Lenten Triodion, who little by little orga-nized the general structures of the lenten services, who adorned the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts with that special beauty which is proper to it, had a unique understanding of the human soul. They truly knew the art of repentance; and very year dur-ing Lent they make this art accessible to everyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see.

The general impression, I said, is that of “bright sadness.” Even a man having only a limited knowledge of worship who enters a church during a lenten service would understand almost immedi-ately, I am sure, what is meant by this somewhat contradictory expression. On the one hand, a certain quiet sadness permeates the service: vestments are dark, the services are longer than usu-al and more monotonous, and there is almost no movement. Readings and chants alternate yet nothing seems to “happen.” At regular intervals the priest comes out of the sanctuary and reads always the same short prayer, and the whole congregation punc-tuates every petition of that prayer with prostrations. Thus, for a long time we stand in this monotony - in this quiet sadness.

But then we begin to realize that this very length and monotony are needed if we are to experience the secret and at first unno-ticeable “action” of the service in us. Little by little, we begin to understand, or rather to feel, that this sadness is indeed “bright,” that a mysterious transformation is about to take place in us. It is as if we were reaching a place to which the noises and the fuss of life, of the street, of all that which usually fills our days and even nights, have no access - a place where they have no power.

All that which seemed so tremendously important to us as to fill our mind, that state of anxiety which has virtually become our second nature, disappear somewhere and we begin to feel free, light and happy. It is not the noisy and superficial happiness which comes and goes twenty times a day and is so fragile and fugitive; it is a deep happiness which comes not from a single and particular reason but from our soul having, in the words of Dostoevsky, touched “another world.” And that which it has touched is made up of light and peace and joy, of an. inexpressi-ble trust. We understand then why the services had to be long and seemingly monotonous. We understand that it is simply im-possible to pass from our normal state of mind made up almost entirely of fuss, rush, and care, into this new one without first “quieting down,” without restoring in ourselves a measure of inner stability.

This is why those who think of church services only in terms of “obligations,” who always inquire about the required minimum (“How often must we go to church?” “How often must we pray!?”) can never understand the true nature of worship which is to take us into a different world - that of God's Presence! - but to take us there slowly because our fallen nature has lost the ability to accede there naturally.

Thus, as we experience this mysterious liberation, as we become “light and peaceful,” the monotony and the sadness of the ser-vice acquire a new significance, they are transfigured. An inner beauty illumines them like an early ray of the sun which, while it is still dark in the valley, begins to lighten up the top of the mountain. This light and secret joy comes from the long allelu-ias, from the entire “tonality” of lenten worship. What at first appeared as monotony now is revealed as peace; what sounded like sadness is now experienced as the very first movements of the soul recovering its lost depth. This is what the first verse of the lenten alleluia proclaims every morning: ‘My soul has de-sired Thee in the night, O God, before dawn, for Thy judgments are a light upon the earth!’

“Sad brightness”: the sadness of my exile, of the waste I have made of my life; the brightness of God's presence and for-giveness, the joy of the recovered desire for God, the peace of the recovered home. Such is the climate of lenten worship; such is its first and general impact on my soul.

Palm Sunday • Saint Palm Sunday • Saint Palm Sunday • Saint Palm Sunday • Saint Andrew of Cretendrew of Cretendrew of Cretendrew of Crete

Let us go together to meet Christ on the Mount of Olives. Today He returns from Bethany and proceeds of His own free will to-ward His holy and blessed passion, to consum-mate the mystery of our salvation. He who came down from heaven to raise us from the depths of sin, to raise us up with Himself, we are told in Scripture, ‘above every sovereign-ty, authority and power, and every other name that can be named,’ now comes of His own free will to make His ascent to Jerusalem. He comes without pomp or ostentation. As the

Psalmist says: ‘He will not dispute or raise his voice to make it heard in the streets.’ He will be meek and humble, and He will make His entry in simplicity.

Let us run to accompany Him as He has-tens toward His passion, and imitate those who met Him then, not by covering His path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before Him by being humble and by trying to live as He desires. Then we shall be able to re-ceive the Word at His coming, and God, whom no limits can contain, will be within us.

In His humility Christ entered the dark regions of our fallen world and He is glad that He became so humble for our sake, glad that He came and lived among us and shared in our nature in order to raise us up again to Himself. And even though we are told that He has now ascended above the highest heavens – the proof, surely, of His power and godhead – His love for man will never rest until He has raised our earthbound nature from glory to glory and made it one with His own in heaven.

So, let us spread before His feet, not garments or soulless olive branches. which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in His grace, or rather, clothed completely in Him. We who have been baptized into Christ must ourselves the garments that we spread before Him. Now that the crimson stains of our sins have been washed away in the sav-ing waters of baptism and we have become white as pure wool, let us pre-sent the Conqueror of Death, not with mere branches of palms but with the real rewards of His victory. Let our souls take the place of the welcom-ing branches as we join today in the chil-dren’s holy song: ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.

And nd nd nd He e e e was Cruas Cruas Cruas Cruciiiified...ied...ied...ied...

† Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann

In this short enumeration of all that the Church believes [the Creed], why is Pilate’s name mentioned? Why is this the lone name mentioned in connection with the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ, one name among the innumerable names of people who participated in the condemnation and torture of the innocent Teacher? Two answers must be given to this question, and both of them are equally important, substantive, and central to our faith.

The first answer is this: Pilate is men-tioned because by naming him the Church affirms the historicity of those events in which she confesses the salvation of the world and of man.

There is a second reason for mentioning the name of the Roman governor in the Symbol of faith, and this is clearly shown in the actual words in St. John’s Gospel that Pilate addresses to Christ who stands before him. Christ is silent, and Pilate asks: “Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to re-lease you and power to crucify you?” (Jn. 19:10).

This means that the earthly fate of the man standing before Pi-late, the death or life of this man depended on him, Pilate. And Pilate, as we know, was aware of this man’s complete inno-cence. “From that moment,” writes the evangelist John, “Pilate sought to release him” (Jn. 19:12); or in other terms, Pilate was looking for an opportunity to release Christ. But he did not re-lease Him: he was afraid of the crowd, for it was easier to satisfy the crowd and hand an innocent man over to death than to re-lease Him and risk riots, rebellion, denunciations to Rome and so forth. Pilate was free. His power, says Christ, was given to him from above, and therefore it was to be used for truth, justice, mercy, defense of the weak. Pilate freely chose evil. There was one moment, one and only one, when everything depended on him, and he knew it; he acted consciously against his con-science, against truth. No, there was no fate here, Pilate was not an unthinking executor of someone else’s will, a plaything in somebody else’s hands. Pilate was free.

And it is precisely this freedom which makes Pilate’s action so irreparable, so horrible and absolutely tragic. So the mention of Pilate’s name in the Symbol of faith (always, every day for more than a thousand years) is a reminder to us, to each of us that we are free. The one minute in which Pilate could have released or freed Christ lasts eternally; It lasts in the life of each one of us. There is not a day that we do not stand before a choice and have power given to us from above by that never deceiving voice of conscience, to know the truth and either to choose it or to reject it. And this freedom, this possibility of choice makes our faith itself a judgment upon us.

In every person we can recognize the image of Christ, and either do good to him or condemn him - out of fear, out of weakness and timidity, as Pilate did on that Friday before Easter, at the sixth hour. It is only in relation to this freedom, which no one has power to take from us, that our salvation or spiritual destruc-tion will be determined. Christ has saved us, but to make the gift of salvation our salvation is something that we alone are able to do, and only in looking at the man who stands before Pilate, discarded by all, condemned by all, abandoned by all. “So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them: ‘Behold the man!’” (Jn. 19:5), not knowing that in these words is the only judgment upon us, for each of us is free to accept Him or to reject and condemn Him.

Thus, by mentioning the name of one man, the Symbol of faith forever discloses to us all the boundless depth of human free-dom. God Himself stands in front of us, not in greatness and glory, for then we would submit ourselves to Him as His cow-ardly slaves; no, He stands before us in a crown of thorns and a purple robe. It is only in relation to Him that we are free, as Pi-late was free, and in this freedom each of us determines his own eternal destiny.

Celebration of Faith

Parish Council Meeting - February 25, 2019

Members in Attendance: Fr. David Koles, Meg Adams, Daniel Belonick, Julia Boisvert Bress, Nadine Cabrera, Greg Dresko, Al Hromi, Paul Salina, Ellen Santoro, and Rachel Santoro.

Meeting Called to Order at 7:02 p.m. and began with the singing of O Heavenly King.

Dan Belonick led the Council in an inspirational reading from “In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian leadership.”

Pastor’s Report:

Father David reminded the Council that Lent will begin soon and that the schedule for services will be as in years past. Father David asked parishioners to make an effort to attend the Con-necticut Deanery Lenten Vespers to gather with other local par-ishes.

Our pre-Pascha clean-up is scheduled for the weekend of April 14. Father David asked the parishioners assist with clean up on Saturday morning or on Sunday after coffee hour.

Orthodoxy 101 classes are continuing and will continue during Lent.

Warden’s Report:

Dan Belonick thanked outgoing council members for all their hard work. He thanked new council members for joining the council and ongoing council members for stepping into new roles. He also extended his thanks to the Sisterhood and Men’s Club for their ongoing good work, to the Parish cleaners, and to all those preparing food for homebound. On a personal note, Dan also thanked all those who have reached out to him during his father’s illness. Father Steven Belonick is now in remission from leukemia.

Secretary’s Report:

The January Minutes passed via an email vote.

Financial Report:

The January figures were presented but have not yet been audit-ed. They will be voted on and reported in March.

Nadine Cabrera shared the balance sheets of the church ac-counts. All funds are doing well and have improved after the turbulence of 2018. The Bissland Fund increased 3.84% in Janu-ary and all accounts showed an increase as of the end of January except for the cemetery fund which decreased as a result of ex-penditures. The January 31 total for all accounts was $1,265,657.

Building and Grounds:

The Council is continuing to review options related to the roof leaks. Dan Belonick reported that Rich Suska came to review arches, but his work will be put hold on his work in favor of having more comprehensive review of building. Dan has con-tacted an architecture firm and is exploring the possibility of a holistic review. Rich will also provide names of engineering firm that can provide a more comprehensive review. Dan will provide more information as it is received.

The annual boiler inspection will occur in March.

All gates on church property will be locked on Friday March 1 for twenty-four hours as is required by the City of New Britain to prevent a permanent right of way access to the public.

Parish Life:

The Parish Life Committee will be meeting with All Saints Church on February 26 to see how share ideas for outreach and to see if there are opportunities to partner on an outreach activi-ty.

There are many exciting plans in the works for the upcoming months:

• Mini golf on March 31 for all families

• Altar server and helper recognition breakfast – May 4 at

8:30 a.m.

• Mother/daughter tea for all the women in the Parish – this is

not yet finalized but would likely occur in June

• Family Get Together at Gladys and Pete Labas’s house in

July 14

• Chili cook off in October after Vespers

• Zip-lining at Jordan’s Furniture in New Haven – this is not

yet finalized but would likely be for families with older children

A family hike. Many of these activities are still being planned and details will be provided to the Parish as activities are finalized.

Cemetery Committee: No report. George Ludko and Gladys Labas are working on transitioning responsibilities.

Old Business:

Dan proposed creating a Ten-Year Plan Committee composed of about six members of the Parish, including and outside of the council, to plan for the Parish’s future. The idea is to consider how the Parish continues to grow and move forward in terms of its finances and outreach giving the average age of parishioners. The committee will be tasked with creating options and plans that can be presented to the council.

The council had an energy audit performed by Eversource in January related to the Parish’s energy costs. The audit evaluated all of our electric sources. Out of the recommendations, there were two items that would provide the Parish with a relatively quick return on its investment.

• Outside lights on the pole can be switched to LED (current

cost is about $50/mo. for the light) Basement lights can be switched to LED. The lights would look the same, but the fixture would need to be changed

Meg Adams moved to approve up to $5,000 to convert the light pole and basement lights to LED lighting. Nadine Cabrera se-conded. The motion was approved unanimously.

Another recommendation from the energy audit is to add a pro-grammable thermostat upstairs. Dan Belonick and Tim Clark will work on installing this.

New Business: Following up on some themes of the annual meeting, Dan Be-lonick and Fr. David proposed some ideas related to spiritual and liturgical renewal. One thought is that the relics of St. Her-

man, St. Tikhon, and St. Raphael that we have in our Parish should be more prominently displayed. This will help make them more present for those gathered and will allow them to be venerated. Father David has looked into obtaining reliquaries and a table to display the relics. Once an option is finalized, he will plan to purchase these for a cost of approximately $2,000-

$3,000 with funds from the memorial funds. The Council was in agreement with this idea.

Also related to the theme of spiritual and liturgical renewal, the Council discussed options for making prayers more accessible to those who would like to read along with the service.

Relating to the theme of education, Fr. David will plan to have short talks after Vespers once or twice per month based on Lad-der of Divine Ascent. He will also plan to hold talks on the relics once they are properly displayed. The Council also discussed the idea of some having guidance on “Orthodoxy Basics” such as properly venerating icons and performing prostrations. This would be important for people new for the Parish but also for those who have been in the church for many years.

The Council also discussed options for creating more mentor-ship and peer support within the community. Dan proposed in-formal study groups. Meg Adams suggested that Fr. David can offer to connect new parishioners with other parishioners to an-swer questions and serve as a mention. It is important to identify people who are well versed in the church and willing to share their knowledge. A question board and other options were also discussed.

The OCA Social Media Guidelines have been distributed to the council and Dan has asked that all council members sign and return a copy to him.

The Parish received a number of thank you notes from charities that received our support:

• House of Heros

• Diocese of Sitka and Alaska

• Wounded Warrior Project

• FOCUS

• Orthodox Christian Mission Center

A thank you note was received from the Dilger family thanking the Parish for the donation to A Little Compassion and for the many ways the people have reached out.

The Parish contributed $488 to the Boys and Girls Club of New Britain in connection with our February collection. April Charity – Greg Dresko motioned to support the Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. Paul Salina seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

Next Council Meeting: Monday, March 18, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

Meg Adams motioned to adjourn at 8:28 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Julia Boisvert Bress

apr 2019 nlc - holy trinity orthodox churchgreat lent holy cross divine liturgy, 9:00 am coffee hour...

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